Medina of Sousse*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Tunisia
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv, v
Reference	498
Region†	Arab States
Inscription History
Inscription	1988  (12th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

View from the Abou Nawas Hotel over to the main beach in Sousse (Bou Jaafar)

The Ribat of Sousse

Sousse (Arabic سوسة Susa), is a city of Tunisia. Located 140 km south of Tunis, the city has 220,000 inhabitants (2003 estimate). It is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf of Hammamet, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea. The name may be of Berber origin: similar names are found in Libya and in the south of Morocco (Bilād al-Sūs). It is the capital of Sousse Governorate with 540,000 inhabitants (2005 estimate). Its economy is based on transport equipment, processed food, olive oil, textiles and tourism. It is home to the University of Sousse. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 794 KB) Beschreibung The Grand Mosque of Sousse, Tunisia, as seen from the tower of the Ribat Source: Self-made (October 2004) Author: BishkekRocks 15:10, 29 December 2005 (UTC) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file... As of 2006, there are a total of 830 World Heritage Sites located in 138 State Parties. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Arab world. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 784 KB) Beschreibung The Ribat of Sousse, Tunisia Source: Self-made (October 2004) Author: BishkekRocks 13:08, 26 December 2005 (UTC) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Sousse Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 784 KB) Beschreibung The Ribat of Sousse, Tunisia Source: Self-made (October 2004) Author: BishkekRocks 13:08, 26 December 2005 (UTC) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Sousse Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Gulf of Hammamet is a large gulf in northeastern Tunisia. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Morocco and Algeria. ... A solidus (the Latin word for solid) was originally a gold coin issued by the Romans. ... Sousse Governorate Sousse Governorate (Arabic: ‎) is one of the twenty-four governorates (provinces) of Tunisia. ... For the Popeye character, see Olive Oyl. ... This article is about the type of fabric. ... “Tourist” redirects here. ...

History

In the 11th century B.C., the Phoenicians founded Hadrumetum. The city allied itself with Rome during the Punic Wars, thereby escaping damage or ruin and entered a relatively peaceful 700-year period under Pax Romana. Livy tells us that Hadrumentum was the landing place of the Roman army under Scipio Africanus in the second Punic War. Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plain of what is now Lebanon and Syria. ... Hadrumetum was a Phoenician colony earlier than Carthage, and was already an important town when the latter rose to greatness. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage. ... Roman Empire at its greatest extent with the conquests of Trajan Pax Romana (27 BCE-180 CE), Latin for the Roman peace, was the long period of relative peace experienced by the Roman Empire. ... A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ... Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Major (Latin: P·CORNELIVS·P·F·L·N·SCIPIO·AFRICANVS¹) (235–183 BC) was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic. ... History -- Military History -- War The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and the Phoenician city of Carthage. ...

After the fall of Rome, the Vandals, and later the Byzantines, took over the town, renaming it, respectively, Hunerikopolis and Justinianopolis. Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... Vandal and Vandali redirect here. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... View from the Ribat tower over the Medina on the Kasbah. ... KırÅŸehir is a city in Turkey with a population of 85,000. ...

In the 7th century A.D. Arab-Islamic armies conquered what is now Tunisia and rapidly spread Arab culture across what had been a thoroughly Romanized and Christianized landscape. The Arabs seized the city, which in the aftermath of Rome's fall was but a remnant of its former self. They renamed the city Sûsa and within a few decades elevated it to the status of main seaport of the Aghlabid Dynasty. For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism An Arab (Arabic: , arabi) is a member of a complexly defined ethnic group who identifies as such on the basis of one or more of either genealogical, political, or linguistic grounds. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... An Aghlabid cistern in Kairuan The Aghlabid dynasty of emirs, members of the Arab tribe of Bani Tamim, ruled Ifriqiya (northern Africa), nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a century, until overthrown by the new power of the Fatimids. ...

When the Aghlabids invaded Sicily in 827, Sûsa was their main staging ground. Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ...

In the centuries that followed, as Europe gained technological ascendancy and began pushing back at Islam, Sûsa was briefly occupied by the Normans in the 12th century, was later more substantially occupied by the Spanish, and in the 18th century was the target of bombardments by the Venetians and the French. The French renamed the city Sousse. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Norman conquests in red. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ...

Despite the turmoil around it, Sousse's character had retained the solidly Arabian look and feel it had assumed in the centuries after Islam's wars of conquest. Today it is considered one of the best examples of seaward-facing fortifications built by the Arabs. Its ribat, a soaring structure that combined the purposes of a minaret and a watch tower, is in outstanding condition and draws visitors from around the world. The Arabian Peninsula Emirets towers in United Arab Emirates; the eastern part of Arabian Penisula The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية, or جزيرة العرب) is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia consisting mainly of desert. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism An Arab (Arabic: , arabi) is a member of a complexly defined ethnic group who identifies as such on the basis of one or more of either genealogical, political, or linguistic grounds. ... The Ribat at Monastir Tunisia. ...

These days, Sousse, with a population of more than 430,000, retains a medieval heart of narrow, twisted streets, a kasbah and medina, its ribat fortress and long wall on the Mediterranean. Surrounding it is a modern city of long, straight roads and more widely spaced buildings. A few well preserved Kasbahs in Aït Benhaddou, Morocco The kasbah is a unique kind of medina, or Islamic city. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... The Ribat at Monastir Tunisia. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...

Historical names

• Hadrumetum (Punic)
• Colonia Concordia Ulpia Trajana Augusta Frugifera Hadrumetina (Roman)
• Hunerikopolis (Vandal)
• Justinianopolis (Byzantine)
• Susa (Arabic)

Hadrumetum was a Phoenician colony earlier than Carthage, and was already an important town when the latter rose to greatness. ... View from the Ribat tower over the Medina on the Kasbah. ... Kırşehir is a city in Turkey with a population of 85,000. ...

City assets

Third city of the country after Tunis and Sfax, Sousse owes its status of the uncontested capital of the region to a certain number of assets : Sfax, Looking across the Place de la Republique towards the Town Hall. ...

• An olive grove stretching over more than 2,500 square kilometres, constituting one of its main riches since Antiquity.

• A bustling port, open to the town centre and giving a touch of gaiety to its activity.

• A medina charged with history, draped in its fortifications and which continues to live at its own rhythm, harmoniously contrasting with the modern city of typically Mediterranean charm.

• A seaside resort stretching to the north, making up together with the integrated complex of Port El Kantaoui one of the most complete and most diversified tourist zones of the Mediterranean, at only 20 km from the international airport of Monastir. As a sea town, Sousse benefits from a moderate and mild climate promoting all possible pleasures relating to evasion and recreation and making it to an all-season resort.

Binomial name L. 19th century illustration The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. ... Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Port El Kantaoui is a tourist complex 10 kilometres north of Sousse in central Tunisia. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... The Ribat in Monastir. ...

Tourism

Sousse is home to many resorts and fine sand beaches, backed by orchards and olive groves. It has the further advantages of a pleasant Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and gentle warm, wet winters, a strategic geographic location and a skilled population. An orchard is an intentional planting of trees maintained for food production. ... Binomial name L. 19th century illustration The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...

Although Sousse is associated with olive oil making, this is far from being the only industry in the city. Tourism has become a central activity, with some 1,200,000 visitors every year coming to enjoy its fine hotels and restaurants, trendy nightclubs and casinos, beaches and sports facilities, museums and the Medina (the old city). Binomial name L. 19th century illustration The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with cooking oil. ... “Tourist” redirects here. ... A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. ...

A strip of 120 hotels with a capacity of 40,000 beds, runs from about 20 km north of town, south to a traditional downtown, and bazaar with wares directed mainly to tourists.

Statistics

• Population: 220,000 inhabitants (2003 estimate)

• Altitude: 2 m

• Humidity: 69%

• Number of hospitals: (private and public) 15

• Temperatures moyennes: (mean temperatures from May to August for the last 30 years)
  • Min: 19.7 °C
  • Max: 29.1 °C
  • Average: 24.4 °C

• Rainfall average: May: 19.3 mm
  • June: 4 mm
  • July: 1.7 mm
  • August: 10.3 mm

Sights

UNESCO declared the medina of Sousse a World Heritage Site in 1988, citing among other things its almost complete intactness. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... A medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

Sister Cities

• Constantine, Algeria
• Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Marrakech, Morocco
• Miami, United States
• Quebec City, Canada

Image File history File links Flag_of_Algeria. ... Position of Constantine in Algeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Slovenia. ...   (IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... For the record label, see Marrakesh Records. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Motto: « Don de Dieu feray valoir Â» (I shall put Gods gift to good use) Site in the province of Québec Official logo Provincial region Province Country Capitale-Nationale Québec Canada Gentilé Québécois, Québécoise Mayor Jean-Paul LAllier 1989-Dec. ...

Sports

The football team of Étoile Sportive du Sahel, from Sousse, is one of the greatest clubs in Africa for having won many continental cups. The Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Arabic: , often referred to as Étoile du Sahel) is a sports club from Sousse in the Sahel region of Tunisia, known primarily for its football team. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sousse

• Sousse travel guide from Wikitravel
• Information about Sousse
• 51 pictures of Sousse

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Tunisia

Amphitheatre of El Jem · Dougga/Thugga · Ichkeul National Park · Kairouan · Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... The Colosseum in Rome, Italy. ... El Djem: the amphitheatre of Thysdrus El Djem (Latin Thysdrus) is a town in Mahdia governorate, Tunisia, population 18,302 (2004 census). ... Dougga Dougga or Thugga is a Roman ruin in northern Tunisia located on a 65 hectare site. ... Ichkeul Lake (Arabic: بحيرة اشكل) is a lake in northern Tunisia near the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Kairouan (Arabic القيروان) (also known as Kairwan, Kayrawan, Al Qayrawan) is a muslim holy city which ranks after Mecca and Medina as a place of pilgrimage. ... Medina of Sousse · Medina of Tunis · Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis · Site of Carthage Medina or madinah is Arabic for city. As such it has been used to name particular places. ... Kerkouane is a Punic city in northeastern Tunisia, near Cape Bon. ... For the record label, see Necropolis Records. ... Roman Carthage with former military harbor Carthage (Greek: , Latin: , from the Phoenician meaning new town; Arabic: ) refers both to an ancient city in Tunisia and to the civilization that developed within the citys sphere of influence. ...

Coordinates: 35°50′N, 10°38′E Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...